The Secret to Building a Successful Business & Community with Less Than 1,000 Subscribers

***Note from Nathan – Recently I was introduced to Leah Hynes & Nazrin Murphie, whom are the Founders of RYPL – Rock Your Purpose Live. When Leah and I were chatting she mentioned to me her frustration with the online business world and the strong emphasis everyone has on “Building Your Email List”. While having a big email database is desirable to build a successful business, she raised with me the fact, that so often people are treated as numbers, and there is a strong disparity between actual real life connections and the size of your email database.

Leah and Nazrin have built an extremely successful business while busting the common mantra that you need a big email list to succeed in business and the online world. I wanted Leah and Nazrin to share with you guys exactly how they are building such a raving community and successful business from building REAL relationships with their email subscribers.So take it away guys!

Time to blow the ‘list building’ lies out of the water!

‘Build your list.’ ‘Create a lead magnet’. ‘Get them in the sales funnel!’ ‘The money is in the list!’ ‘THE MONEY IS IN THE LIST!’

Arrggghhhh!

Perhaps you have been making attempts at building your list, guest posting, lead magnets, commenting on other blogs… You have followed all the conventional advice and yet it doesn’t seem to be working.

You have thrown your heart and soul into your project and yet still the money doesn’t seem to be coming or if it is, it is in very small drips.

These list building ‘shenanigans’ have made us cringe since the beginning. See, the problem is…people aren’t stupid. And none of those strategies actually work. Well, not if you want to make a real, meaningful, and long-term impact in the world.

The heart-breaking thing is: as an amazing, aspiring entrepreneur, you perhaps have considered giving up before you even got started because you’ve been led to believe that you need 1,000+ subscribers to make a real go of it.

Well we’re here to blow that myth out of the water! Whether you have one subscriber or 100 you already have everything you need to kickstart your dream and get into action!

We kicked off our business with just 34 subscribers. Yup, we had 34 subscribers when we both left our full time, solid paying jobs.

And now at RYPL we’ve built a successful business in less than two years that sustains a team of four, with less than 1,000 subscribers.

Yes you read that right…815 subscribers to be precise.

We invite you to join us in ditching the common approach of ‘list building’ for a new mindset and strategy we like to call community building. Because the fact is: behind every subscriber, Facebook like, and retweet, there is a human being screaming for your love and attention.

The same community that is sustaining our business today. And to give you a little taster, to whet your appetite, and to see what results are possible from unleashing a community building strategy, check out how our email open rates and click throughs compare to the widely accepted industry ‘average’. We want to kick that average to the kerb by creating a new way of thinking when it comes to engaging your audience.

The below is based on the open/click through rates of the ‘Social Networks and Online Communities’ industry group (Source: Mail Chimp):

Today we want to share with you the exact steps we took to create and cultivate a gorgeous, hyper-engaged community:

1. Know exactly who you serve (and who you don’t)

So many people fall into the trap of wanting to serve everyone.

Apart from it being next to impossible to actually do that, it is also a sure-fire way of falling flat on your face, and fast. You must get very very specific about who your ideal client is and then speak directly to that person – always. What you will discover is you will start to attract many hundreds if not thousands of these people who you can now very specifically serve with a laser beam focus.

Find 5-10 people who you think fit that description and interview them, asking them what their top frustrations and challenges currently are.

Implement offerings fast so that you can learn what does, and doesn’t work for your community.

Start to get clear on who you LOVE to work with, and who you simply can’t stand working with and then begin filtering for them.

2. Build collaborations

Most of us have grown up in a society where competition is not only encouraged, it is purported to be the only way to get ahead. We are here to suggest another way:

Collaboration.

Just as you can’t serve everyone, neither can anyone else! And this is where the beauty of working together comes in. See, if you know your ideal client extremely well then you can start to find other people in your space to collaborate with so you can expand your reach faster.

Human beings generally sit on a growth spectrum so find other people who are serving your people just before and just after they actually become your ideal client. Now start partnering on projects with those peers and provide them with access to products and services that serve your community on a wider spectrum.

Not only will you be growing your client base, you will be building solid relationships that will last AND serve your clients much more powerfully. Don’t be afraid to send your community somewhere else if it’s in service of their journey. They will thank you for it.

Tips:

Get clear on the journey or ‘path’ your client will be on before and after they come to you. For example, at RYPL we don’t focus on helping people when they are trying to work out their passion (it drives us a bit crazy!). We help them after they know what that is and they are ready to take action on it. Where we come in is we help them implement their passion or project. We get them through the ‘thrash’. So that knowledge meant we started to collaborate with peers, like Scott Dinsmore from Live Your Legend, whose speciality is ‘find your passion’. Now we have someone awesome to refer our peeps when they are in that part of their journey. Every one of them has come back once they got what they needed.

Start building relationships with peers by inviting them to be in a Mastermind Group and seek out individuals who fill the gaps that you can’t or won’t fill for your ideal client. This is an incredible way to grow all your businesses faster than you ever could on your own.

3. Show up (in the real world)

Showing up has been a huge factor in our success in building a hyper-engaged community. It can be an easy trap to fall into: hours spent behind your laptop posting on social media and waiting for something to happen, for someone to buy or subscribe.

Except human beings want human contact and given that we live in a connection economy now, relationships are everything. People are itching to be seen and heard; providing and creating spaces for connecting has been 99% of our success in getting RYPL into momentum quickly.

Tips:

Host an in-person meet-up

In the early days we hosted an in-person meetup in Sydney, Australia for like-minded people. At that time, we couldn’t find a place for aspiring and like-minded entrepreneurs in Australia to hang out and get supported. So we created it. What is missing in your area of interest that you could fill by hosting a meetup?

Attend conferences/meet-ups/events

Before we were even established as a company, we took out our credit cards and booked trips to the United States. It turned out to be super important to get in person with our ‘seed’ community. It made all the difference. It showed our community how much they really meant to us. There is nothing quite like connecting in person to solidify your raving fans into life-long fans.

Host events/workshops

Put on incredible, valuable workshops and events. In the beginning you have to be prepared not to make a tonne of cash. Look at it as an investment in your community, to foster new connections and relationships. We made a small loss on our first two events before we started making any kind of profit.

4. Give a sh*t about your peeps

Have you ever joined a community or signed up for a course only to be left feeling as alone or ignored as you did before? Perhaps you even felt ripped off. Giving a sh*t about each of your community members does not just apply when they first sign up, or when they buy a product. It means caring about them in-between times too and giving them attention for no reason at all. Don’t just contact your community when you have something to sell them. It’s sleazy.

And don’t fall into the trap of forgetting about your ‘raving fans’ – taking them for granted and as a result ignoring them. Don’t piss them off! They have been there from the beginning and are your biggest supporters – give them the love and attention they deserve.

If you focus on cash flow above all else, then you will likely focus on new clients, instead of fostering the ones you already have. Don’t do that!

Relationships (and the trust borne from those relationships) are EVERYTHING: with peers and your community. No matter whether your peeps buy things from you, they are still contributing to what you are building by being part of the community, commenting in your Facebook group, sharing your posts, etc. – show them that they matter too.

Tips:

Send video messages

Regularly send video or audio messages or quick emails to check in on your peeps. Almost no-one does this and this alone will set you apart in a big way.

Personally respond

Respond to your community’s posts in your Facebook group, on your blog, and to every email. Under no circumstances should you outsource this job. How would you feel if you emailed the leader of a community you were part of and the assistant responded on their behalf? That stinks!

Foster conversations

When a RYPL Warrior (that’s what we call our community) signs up we ask him/her what his/her biggest frustrations are. This kicks off a conversation and gets our heads into their world (we reply with some advice, mentoring or coaching).

See every communication as an opportunity for conversation. Create two-way conversations as much as possible. End emails and Facebook posts with a question.

Add value in every offering

Find out what they really need by continually asking great questions, listening, and then delivering. Never assume what is needed and at no cost ignore any person in your community. Be flexible in your ideas of what value to provide.

Follow up

We personally check-in with people if they have gone quiet in the community to see if they are ok. Usually it is just when they need it. Don’t assume once someone subscribes or buys that you can stop paying them as much attention.

5. Ruthless prospecting and saying NO

When someone unsubscribes from our list, we celebrate. Why? Because it means we’ve done a great job of clearly communicating what we stand for and it was clear to the person we were not the right fit for them.

We are ruthless in protecting the safe space our community has become and because we are not in the numbers game and actually want to make a difference to people, we work hard to clearly communicate our style, brand, and what is expected. One person’s bad attitude or energy can spoil the whole community experience.

It can be hard to tell someone they are not the right fit, but it is essential for the rest of the community. You need to have the ability to say NO to some people. Sometimes this can take courage. We are so ruthless about this, that we even ‘spring clean’ our Facebook community twice a year. We do this by asking individuals in the group if they are still committed. If people choose to no longer be committed we simply remove them from the group. We don’t have time for ‘lurkers’. They do nothing for raising the level of the community.

“Don’t create an easy crowd; they won’t grow. Create high expectations and performance. And be relentless about it.”

You too can take steps to ensure you get the right people from the beginning. It is easier to keep people out then have to kick them out later. Make it super easy for people to work out if your community and offerings are right for them. Be polarising. The worst place you can be is in some kind of middle ground. No-one has time to try and work out what you do, and what you stand for. It will save you and your prospective clients a heap of time and heartache.

Tips:

Know who you serve (see No.1) – we know exactly who we serve and who we don’t serve (down to what they eat for breakfast!)

Accept and celebrate you are not for everyone

Be willing to turn down prospective clients if they are not right for your offering (or not at the right stage in their journey)

When offering our signature program, the World Changer’s Blueprint, we interviewed every prospective applicant to make sure they were the right fit for the program. We have on several occasions turned down someone who desperately wanted to be a part because they simply weren’t the ‘right’ person. Be prepared to say no, even if someone is willing to pay you $10,000. Yes we have on several occasions said NO to this kind of money. In the long run, you (and your community) will thank yourself for it.

Share your message using your natural, personal style that is authentic and vulnerable. Make it easy for people to connect (or not) with you.

6. Resist the pull of mass marketing and create intimate offerings

There’s nothing like a massive list to make someone feel like ‘just a number’. On the other hand, there is a real pull toward this type of marketing and selling, especially when you first start out.

Don’t waste your time!

We have deliberately created intimate and small online, and in-person, spaces, events, mentoring groups, Facebook groups, and coaching programs so that we can focus on each and every person and blow them away with value. This is not usually possible when you create a product or service and sell to the masses. It becomes impersonal, mundane and there is simply nothing special about it. It becomes a cookie-cutter solution instead of an experience of a lifetime.

The result of this approach has been that we have created raving fans who tell others about us. Because after all, there are very few places where you can feel special and cared for. Do that one thing consistently and you will have supporters for life.

Tips:

Consider making your programs invitation and application only

Build a small Facebook community

The only way to access our Facebook group is by invitation or recommendation and we only accept people who participate (we recently removed people from the group who were in observation mode only)

Encourage participation and interaction

If you want your community to grow while keeping the intimate feel, you must encourage your raving fans to participate and step into leadership to guide others coming through. We know the fastest way our people grow is to get uncomfortable. And that usually means participating (instead of being in ‘view only’ mode). For example, our mentoring calls require participants to interact and contribute (no hiding out allowed) and our participants are responsible for creating the experience alongside us, by offering their thoughts and experiences.

Personalisation goes a long way

Personalise ALL of your invitations, whether they are video messages, emails or Facebook messages. Make sure they are conversational, not salesy, and written/recorded with the individual in mind. Do not bulk send a template.

Don’t rush it. We view sales like dating. Take it slow and don’t propose marriage on the first date! Let them know they are special, check to see where they are at, let them know you have something that could make a difference, and the let them know the offer. Our conversations sometimes take place over a number of months depending on the intimacy of the offering.

Qualify your leads

Don’t just reach out to everyone on your list! All you will do is annoy the people who your service and/or product is not for. Get to know your people so well that it’s easy to decide whether the product or service is for them and only reach out to those people.

7. Less sugar, more realness

There are few occupations in the world where you get to tell the truth and be ruthlessly honest with your clients and prospective clients. Coaching and personal development is one of them.

At RYPL, we have built a brand known for ‘telling it like it is’. We challenge our peeps because we know that’s where growth happens. There is no sugar coating and we call you on your B.S.

Most businesses operate from a place of fear. Fear of:

losing clients

looking bad

people not liking you

unsubscribes

messing up

In fact, we have found the opposite to be true. The more ‘real’ we are, the more people love what we do. Lean into your truth, speak it, and you will have fans for life. Making people feel uncomfortable is all part of the process for us. And if we didn’t truly love our people, we would simply never challenge them.

Tips:

Speak your truth

Stop worrying about how you are going to look and do the one thing that is in the best interest of your client

Become ruthlessly compassionate and honest

Share with your people your mistakes and own them

8. Grow them up (instead of keeping them small)

When starting out, many aspiring entrepreneurs are afraid that if their people/community accelerate too fast, they won’t be able to keep up with them, they won’t be expert enough, and that they will lose them as clients, and afraid that they will outgrow what you have to offer.

We don’t keep our people small so that we can stay big. We all grow up together and we encourage them to stride ahead too.

This alone has not only built incredible trust among the community in us as its leaders, it’s also created flag bearers for our message, vision and walking testimonials for our products and services. This means that as they grow and are given the space to flourish, instead of buggering off, they actually stay around to support the community and recommend people they think would be the right fit. This is fundamental to building a small but hyper-engaged community from the inside out.

Tips:

Continually grow yourself

Find a mentor or coach that makes YOU feel uncomfortable! We have our own business and personal coaches and book into courses/events at least four times per year.

Celebrate when they ‘outgrow’ your offerings – it means you’ve done your job well! Grab a testimonial from them and invite them to become leaders in your community and help others grow – it will make your job easier too.

9. Focus on how you want them to feel

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ― Maya Angelou

It doesn’t really matter what products and services you offer, nor how many people are on your list, what matters is how you make your community feel. If you make people feel good when they’re around you, they’ll likely want to keep connecting with you.

Tips:

Do all of the above!

Check in with your peeps, ask lots of questions including ‘what do you love about this community’ and ‘what could we do better?’

Listen! Have you noticed how rare it is to feel ‘heard’? By simply repeating back (verbally or over email/message) to people what they are saying will have them feel connected with you and probably more heard than they have in a long time.

Always lead with gratitude – show your appreciation for individuals and the community as a whole in your blog posts, newsletters, and messages.

Create a safe space for your community to share openly and vulnerably, without judgement from you or the rest of the community.

Give attention and appreciation – for no reason.

10. Adore them or forget about it

Speaking of feelings, when you think about your people, you should feel amazing! You don’t want it to feel like a burden to serve them…why bother!? If your peeps aren’t energising you and lighting you up, you are serving the wrong people. It will be a sure sign you have fallen into the trap of either chasing the cash, or you just haven’t been clear enough on who you do, and don’t, work with.

We absolutely ADORE our community. We love them to pieces. We genuinely want them to excel and triumph over whatever’s holding them back. We want them to grow faster than they even believe is possible, and we want them to eventually say, ‘Thanks guys, I don’t need your coaching anymore!’ Woo hoo!

Now THAT is making a difference!

If you don’t feel this way about your community, then you are going to be very unlikely to run the long race. You will be excited at first, only to run out of steam and energy and eventually run out of people to serve! If you aren’t putting out the right energy, your people will end up leaving in droves. Eventually they will see through the B.S. and you will become redundant.

Tips:

Every month we do an audit on how we’re feeling about our work and our peeps. Each month, ask yourself this question: “Do the people I’m serving breathe life into me or do they suck the life out of me?”

Get clear on your top values. For example if your top value is aliveness and freedom, ask yourself if you feel more or less alive and free when you do what you do?

Ensure you ONLY work with people who energise you and that you have fun working with. Otherwise what’s the point?!?

It’s Worth It?

The truth is, conventional list building is becoming redundant. It is no longer working the way it did in the past 5 – 7 years and the ‘big’ guys are feeling the pinch because the people who actually give a shit are moving in. Have you noticed lately ‘those’ people are starting to move away from the consistent online selling and moving into more intimate, private, face-to-face events. It’s not because they care. It’s because they can’t make the $$ like they once did.

The problem is, if you don’t genuinely give a toss, it becomes hard to maintain your ‘online’ personality when you actually get in person.

So as you can see, building a hyper-engaged community goes against all of the mainstream advice out there. But the real question is, does all this hard work actually pay off?

We will let the numbers speak for themselves:

October 2013 – we hosted our first live paid event with less than 100 subscribers – we sold 53 tickets in 10 days

February 2015 – we opened our second group coaching program. We did zero promotion, sent 34 personalised invitations, 14 said ‘hell yes!’ – resulting in a 41% sales conversion rate (a number were repeat clients from first program).

We never actually set out to create a hyper-engaged community. We just followed what felt right to us because we were sick to death of being spammed, ignored, and lured in by ‘lead magnets’ that made us feel used and ultimately made no difference. What we discovered is that it works. And it works in more ways than we anticipated.

Yes the income is important but the true wealth of a hyper-engaged community is in the stuff money cannot buy: the life-long relationships and connections and the ripple effect that happens when someone is empowered to do something that matters. And there is no greater gift than to see your people release their shackles, step into their power and create incredible, impactful ripple effects in the world.

So if you’re willing to lean into the uncertainty and take the time to foster relationships with your peeps and your community, we promise you the result will not only be worth it, it will blow your mind! You won’t have a business for a year or two, you will have a thriving community for a lifetime.

I only just found this article (as it was on a link from a RYPL blog post)… and I can’t tell you how pleased I am that I found it! I feel like I’ve found some kindred spirits out there! 🙂 I’m setting up my own business and I’ve been getting really frustrated and tired with the same message that everyone seems to send out: it’s all about the list, get a lead magnet purely so you can get people’s email addresses… what about creating valuable stuff for people as your #1 priority?! Or how about not trying to lure people in just to send them emails they don’t want, at a rate they don’t get to choose?! 🙂 I’ve been feeling totally disconnected with most of the online (and offline) business community out there… this was like a breath of fresh air. THANK YOU! I thought I was going mad haha. I am going to take the lessons above on board from today – woo!

I have been following the career of Mark Hurd for the last few years now, since he has taken over at Oracle. I have also been impressed with this leadership and ability to turn a company around. He is one businessman that I believe we can all learn from. Here is his executive biography from Oracle for those of you wishing to learn about how to be successful in business

Wow, what an awesome read! You’re always hearing about tips on increasing your list (as you pointed out) but rarely do you find a post written about creating an engaged community. After all, that is what we’re all looking for and you eloquently describe that here. Really enjoyed the tips as they were not only practical but very actionable as well. This is a great resource and one I think I’ll come back to again! Big Hugs!

We could not have done this without you and your unending support and belief in us as a partnership and community. Thank you so much for your words – it’s easy to care deeply when we have people like you in the community.

This is awesome Leah!! Being part of the RYPL community, I can attest to being on the receiving end of your emails and check-ins. This always made me feel, I belong here. I love the approach and this article will be a valuable resource for anyone trying to grow their audience. I know it has us re-thinking our approach and connecting more with our audience.

Thanks Troy! You most certainly do belong here and we are so grateful to be part of your journey helping others rediscover themselves through meaningful travel. We so appreciate you and everything you do for us too! Big love! Leah xo

Great post! The RYPL community building here is testament for the great work these ladies do. I’ve been fortunate enough be in the RYPL community for the last year and I assure you Leah and Naz are the real deal. My new business would never have come this far without their support – and advice on how they are nuture their own community. Love this post as its valuable for anyone – frankly it’s just good business practice – great for anyone marketing a brand – their own personal brand or another brand they represent.

Aww thanks Dorene! We so appreciate you saying that and we are so damn grateful that we could support you in doing the work that truly matters to you. You are such an incredible leader in the RYPL community. Hugs! Leah xo

Wow – so much fantastic content here. Thanks so much for sharing with everyone Leah and Naz. I love that there is a growing community of entrepreneurs focused on creating relationships with their customers or clients – a deep care that goes beyond a number. Naz and Leah are leading the charge with their inspiring group of peeps because of these attributes. You ladies are the real deal – exuding authenticity and genuinely giving a sh#t about your community and clients. I’m a huge fan of all that you offer out to the world, and have grown immensely from your guidance. Nathan, after watching your interview with Leah (which was just crammed with golden nuggets!!!) and seeing your active participation with the Foundr community, I have no doubt these ideas and attributes have helped to create the amazing community and content of Foundr that exists today.

Hey Sam! You damn well rock lady! Thank you so much for this amazing comment and I agree – it’s so awesome to see more and more peeps taking the ‘giving a sh#t’ approach – it certainly makes the world of difference all ’round.

And I could not agree more about Nathan – he embodies this philosophy too and is creating such an incredible community with Foundr – totally honoured to be able to contribute to what he’s building in some way.

Love this article, Leah – chocked full of tips and guidelines for people to know where to begin, and what RYPL brings to the table. You guys have grown solidly and organically, as all genuine relationships do. Having seen how sharp and bright your mastermind members are, and having heard them all credit you and Naz for the “ryples” they are making, you’ve proven to be as consistent as you are awesome (which is a VERY to both!).

What I love about you both most is how authentic you are as people; this is part of beauty of RYPL, as it is infused with your spirit. Keep up the great work – the world needs and is lucky to have you! <3

Wow Yaz! Talk about making my day!!! This truly means the world to us to hear and we have been so blessed to get to know you along the way and see your own amazing RYPL effect unfold.

I am actually really blown away Yaz by your comment – not usually lost for words but….lol!

We have definitely grown organically and I think that’s a super important point – we have never had a massive influx of subscribers and this has helped us foster those 1:1 relationships in a genuine way.

We feel just as lucky to know you and the world is a better place for having you in it crazy, amazing lady!

Wow, this is such an amazing post! So happy that this is getting out to the subscribers of foundr and so happy for you Naz/Leah. You truly are trailblazers. I was at the first paid event they referenced in October 2013 and have been with RYPL and Naz/Leah ever since. I’m currently part of their World Changer’s Blueprint program and love being part of their online community. They truly have assembled an incredible group of people who all care about each other and we’re all rising together. I’ve grown so much by working with them BECAUSE of their obvious love for me, yearning for me to be the man they know I can be, and undying belief in me when I don’t even believe.

I’m always inspired by how much they check in to make sure I’m doing well and I’m on track and how much they give to make sure I can spread my impact on the world. And now this post has me fired up to better connect with my community, which is my primary goal at the moment. Thanks you 2 for being so amazing… as always! 🙂 And thanks for seeing something in me and bringing me into the community 2 years ago. Much love!

We are so grateful that you said ‘hell yes!’ to being in our first ever mastermind group and for being the amazing support and contribution that you are. You are one truly talented man, my friend and we will never stop reminding you of that (whether you like it or not!) lol!

We DO love you, very much – thank you so much for these amazing words – they have gone straight to heart.

Building a business around community is what Naz and Leah have been about from the start. I love the fact that Leah has put into words what RYPL stand for and sharing it with the world. People, Passion, Purpose sums the RYPL community for me.

As a start up I have felt confused and intimidated by all the info out there and advice about building massive lists etc etc and all the promises that come with that.. What you have shared here makes so much sense to me and the tips are fantastic. I really appreciate finally hearing someone speak about building community and relationships alongside a business without wanting something from me and from others. I admire your work ladies! Thank you!

Straight up and to the point. Just like these ladies are in real life. I’ve had the pleasure of working with them over the past few years, and I can say they walk their talk. It’s refreshing, welcome and so needed in this space. I’ve been ‘a number’, been spammed, and opted-out of so many communities b/c I feel as if I’m being ‘sold’ on something. They add value, they engage, and they really do truly care. Trust in the advice they share above. It works… they are proving it. In this connected world, it’s the real connections that matter and will last the test of time. I for one, look forward to seeing – and engaging with them – many more times to come. ROCK ON, LADIES!

Awww thanks Ellen. And I completely agree with you – our world is more connected than ever and yet we are living in an epidemic of disconnection and loneliness due to the serious lack of those REAL connections you mention. Glad you are right by our side changing that and making the difference that you make in a meaningful way. We will ROCK ON together! Thank you beautiful lady! xo

A great article and even greater are the creators of RYPL. Naz and Leah care deeply about their community. I am so grateful for the support and insights that they have given me. My life has definitely improved by knowing them. They are very honest with you and give you the tools for you to succeed. They have also formed an amazing community that is something special.

Yay! Fantastic to read this, highly inspiring indeed! Thanks Leah! Yeah, the value of your community, for me personally, is in the diversity of profiles around the deeper unity of purpose, expressed in various forms. Keep growing great, ladies!

Thanks Laure! You rock! And I totally agree – although we all have different visions, we are all bound by the same or similar values and core purpose – to make a meaningful impact. Thanks for being such an important part of that 🙂 xo

This post was excellent! Chockfull of great and valuable information from two amazing ladies that I have come to know and love. They are sharing great information that they have put into good use in their successful company. I support them and their mission, as they have supported me down my own path to success. Entrepreneurship can be scary at times, and it is so incredible to have the support of people who have been in the trenches before you. I am honored to be part of the RYPL family, alongside some very inspiring people who are doing important stuff in the world. Really great stuff! Rock on!

Cathy you are truly a rockstar (in more ways than one!) – so glad you enjoyed the post and we are truly grateful to be in the trenches with you – a rising tide lifts all boats as they say. We are truly blessed to have you on board and you are such an important leader for the community as you take a stand for what matters to you and so many in your own amazing community/ies! Let’s rock on together! You’re awesome! xo

This is such an important story in the entrepreneurial world of ‘bigger is better’! It is so great to see the formula for magic behind genuine community building!

I belong to RYPL community and the connections i have made there, in our private facebook group and on the weekly group mentoring calls are ones I will have for life – everyone really cares about each others success, and we not only give assistance during tough times, but hell, we motivate each other to keep wanting to take action and really create long lasting businesses – and friendships – which I’ve never found in other open facebook groups.

Naz & Leah really are invested 100% in everyone’s success within the community – and this is absolutely the reason for their success, and what they are mentoring all of us in creating for ourselves. It has completely changed the way I view my own community building – and is aligned with the personal touch I want to bring to my own business.

Stacey you are simply a superstar. Fact. Thank you so so much for these incredible words; it truly does mean EVERYTHING to us (and more)!

What you are building is so damn important for the world – having people really love themselves and believe they can do anything…now that’s a world changing mission. And you are the right lady for the job!

It’s easy to care about peeps as beautiful and caring as you are in the community. Thank you.

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your RYPL experience with us Stacey! Caring and giving a damn is so extremely important when building a community, and unfortunately this is something that is so often forgotten. Leah & Naz did such an amazing job sharing!

LOVE this post! I’m one of those hyper engaged people in the RYPL community and it’s hard not to be when you get so much value out of it! So few businesses see people as people rather than a customer number or even worse a dollar sign. Now that I have you’re not so secret secrets I shall take over the world for sure!

Ha ha! You’re phenomenal Craig! Thank you so much for such amazing words. Feeling so much gratitude to see the RYPL effect in full swing as you build you health and fitness community and take a stand for what matters to you. Cannot wait to see you take over the world my friend! You rock! xo

Takes one to know one, right? It’s so awesome to know, Matt, that together we are making sure this isn’t rare and instead soon becomes the norm. Science tells us that addiction in our society is directly linked to a lack of human connectedness. So inadvertently together we are changing the shape of the world. So great to see you leading the way too.

So great to see and read this post.. awesome! Being a part of the RYPL community, I’m familiar and can attest to everything stated above. Leah and Naz are all about supporting, helping, and encouraging the amazing community they have. All of the progress I’ve made over the past 12 months I attribute directly to the genuine care and support I’ve received and continue to receive from Leah and Naz and the entire RYPL community. I feel like I’m a part of something big, a tight family out to do some big things, and not just another email in someone’s massive subscriber list. Great stuff here Nathan – thanks man!

You’re awesome Mike! We are so grateful for not just everything you contribute to the community, but for the difference you are making to the lives of so many with regards to their health and wellness (including mine)! We simply could not do what we do without leaders in our community like you who keep on showing up and playing BIG and inspiring others to do the same. You rock! Leah xo

WOW Mike! The simple fact is nothing at RYPL would exist without people just like you. The honour has been all ours, watching you move yourself from strength to strength. Thanks for being so damn incredible.

Glad you liked it and completely agree. I think with any offering (whether free or paid for) it comes back to adding massive value.

And in particular with lead magnets there are a lot out there which in my view actually manipulate or trick the reader into subscribing when what they end up getting is something different to what’s being promoted. And agree that when done well can keep quality traffic coming back for more.

We view every potential interaction with our community (or prospective community) like dating – we don’t offer marriage on the first date, we ‘court’ them and build trust from a heart-centred place, we ‘meet them where they are’ and each step or offering builds on the previous one.

Love your idea for the template and think the key is ‘functional’ – i.e. something that actually adds value whether it’s an entire book or a 1-pager.

And I agree….Nathan what you are putting out there is freaking awesome!!!

Leah that is awesome! Building trust can take time, but it’s very much worth the effort. Love your ideas and consider me a fan 🙂 ; Appreciate the kind words and advice on the marketplace… Thanks again 🙂